Haruto returned to an empty home. That was unusual. Where could L-elf go? He supposed he could have just gone out shopping. Come to think of it, what did L-elf do whenever Haruto was out? He had never really thought of it before. How did L-elf busy himself? Haruto had come back, prepared to give a big speech about his passionate feelings with no one to give them too.

He sighed and plopped onto his couch. He would just have to wait for his return. Maybe he should get L-elf a cellphone so that they'd be able to communicate in situations like these. He wondered why he never considered it before.

"How are you enjoying your tea?"

L-elf set his cup down and frowned. "You tell me that whole story and you end with a question about the tea you're serving?"

Q-vier grinned. "That's what people in high society do~"

"The tea is fine." L-elf knew he didn't have the refined pallet to comment any further. "But that is not why I am here."

"You're right. So, what should I do?"

L-elf had come to the large Inuzuka estate at Q-vier's call. They were currently having tea in the garden. Q-vier had recounted his story to his comrade, hoping for some positive feedback. Unfortunately, he had none and said as much.

"Seduction tactics will not be successful unless your only goal in a single night." L-elf knew that much. Q-vier wanted to build a relationship and was going about it the wrong way.

"Then what should I do?", the younger complained.

"Build a relationship based on common interests. Then move on from there." It didn't sound romantic, but it was practical. And that was what Q-vier needed. No more showing up to Inuzuka's bedroom naked or surprising him at work. They both liked games. He could start there.

"What about you and your guy? Any progress?"

L-elf refused to answer, sipping his tea instead. What Q-vier had for this man was nothing like his relationship with Haruto. It was all business. He finished his tea and some snacks and then returned before Inuzuka could come back from wherever he had been. L-elf assumed it was work. When he entered the apartment, he found it was empty.

There was a note on the coffee table and the tv was paused on something. He picked up the small piece of paper which could only be from Haruto.

Meet me at the Sakamoto building at 7 pm.

Haruto

The man had even signed it, as if L-elf would think it was someone else summoning him. He looked to the tv and saw it was paused on a familiar movie, one that he and Haruto had watched together before. He pressed play and it was right at the part where the man confessed to the female love interest on the highest building for the whole city to hear.

L-elf could feel a migraine coming. It was already 6:30. He would have to hurry. He grabbed two coats.

The air was much colder than he thought it would be. It was also much easier to get to the roof than he'd imagined. Haruto shivered in the blowing wind, waiting for L-elf to arrive.

"This looked so much better in the movie", he complained to himself. Then again, the movie always cut to right where the heroine came to the roof where the guy must have been there for a while but didn't look affected by the snow falling around him. It was early December and the snow hadn't come yet but that didn't mean it was warm.

He checked his watch for what must have been the fiftieth time. He was getting nervous. But the guest of honor should be here any moment now and Haruto didn't want to run away from this. He would face it with all the confidence he could muster. The door to the roof opened and Haruto turned to greet him with a teeth chattering smile.

"L-elf, there's something I want to tell you. Something that I can only tell you here."

"Save it. I don't want to hear it."

"Huh?! W-wait! It's really important! I wouldn't make you come all the way here if it wasn't!"

L-elf frowned at him, a coat covering his body while another was held under his arm. His legal guardian wasn't subtle at all. He knew exactly what Haruto wanted to say but he couldn't accept those words. Not yet.

"You're ten years too early to be making grand gestures and confessions like this. Just what do you expect me to say once you finish? That I feel the same? Don't fool yourself."

Haruto flinched at his brutal honesty. Of all directions for this to go, he never once considered this. But he would push on. "I...I don't...It doesn't matter to me how you feel. My feelings won't change because of that!"

"You should care! You think that makes you selfless? That you would tell me how you love me regardless of how I felt? That is pure conceit. You're only thinking about yourself."

"So it would be better to keep it to myself? Is that what you're saying?", Haruto couldn't believe what he was hearing. It was all going wrong. All of this was so wrong.

"You should reflect on what you are feeling properly before dragging me into it", L-elf scolded him. "Consider the situation more carefully. Then and only then will I listen to your confession."

Haruto pouted, looking like the younger of the two to anyone who might be watching them. "Then how long should I wait for that?"

"A year."

"A year?!"

"Minimum."

"That's-!"

"Or do you not care enough to romance me the right way?"

That shut Haruto up. L-elf was right. If Haruto's emotions were true, using a year to woo him would be nothing. He was basically getting permission to do so.

"Alright. I agree to your conditions. Achoo!"

L-elf stepped forward and wrapped the other coat around Haruto's shoulders. Haruto slipped his arms through, feeling it protect him from the cold.

"Then we have a deal." L-elf sealed it with a kiss on the cheek.